Lemon-Herb Seasoned Popcorn

I have mixed feelings about popcorn. I'm honestly not really a big fan of it (gasp!), but Scott absolutely loves the stuff. I'll eat a handful of it every once in awhile, usually if we're watching a movie (for nostalgic purpose) and always on the savory side. I really dislike sweet popcorn and don't even get me started on the stale cheese, butter, and carmel corn that come pre-packaged on the shelves around the holidays, I'll pass, thank you very much. I really want to like it, especially since it can be a healthy and quick snack, but it just never settles right in my stomach and I end up feeling a little sick sometimes even if I just eat that one handful.

So why am I posting a popcorn recipe you may wonder? Well, I've been getting really into making my own spice blends lately and thought this one I whipped up would fun to share because it's so & nbsp;versatile & nbsp;and can be used on things other than popcorn too. Also, & nbsp;I've joined in on The Food Matters Project put on by Kate of Cookie+Kate and Sarah from 20 Something Cupcakes & nbsp;and seasoned popcorn was the recipe Kate choose for this week. You can read more about the project on their about page & nbsp;and anyone can join in or follow along as we cook our way through & nbsp;The Food Matters Cookbook by & nbsp;Mark Bittman.

Now back to the popcorn. We have never owned a microwave and we are totally fine with that because even if we did own one, we would never use it. This means that popcorn has always been cooked right on the stove top & nbsp;in a hot, lidded pot with a bit of oil. Seeing that I don't really eat popcorn, Scott has always been the popcorn popper and he's pretty darn good at it. He does it all without measuring and manages to never burn it. So while he made the popcorn I got the spice blend ready and before we(he) knew it, it was snack time.

Lemon-Herb Seasoned Popcorn
For the full recipe please visit Cookie+Kate & nbsp;and to view all recipes visit The Food Matters Project

The seasoning salt is the perfect thing to sprinkle over roasted veggies, but if you mix it with a little olive oil and a clove of minced garlic it becomes a great dipping sauce for bread, add in a bit of lemon juice and it makes a great spiced up salad dressing. This is why I'm loving spice blends so much, because you can spin off it so many new directions.

lemon-herb seasoning salt & nbsp;
1/4 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

popcorn
2-3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup popping corn
2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil for serving, optional
lemon-herb seasoning salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients for the seasoning salt in a small bowl or container. Store tightly covered for approximately 2-3 months. Makes about 1/3 cup.

Heat the oil, plus 2-3 corn kernels, in a large heavy pot with a lid over medium heat. Listen for the kernels to pop, then add in the rest and cover. While covered hold the pot over the heat and shake in a circular motion to let the oil coat the kernels. Set it back over the heat, but only for about 20 seconds so all the kernels have a chance to heat up. Then when they start popping hold the lid on tight and shake over the heat again until you hear the last of the kernels pop, about 5 minutes.

Place the popped popcorn in a serving bowl. If using butter or oil, melt it in the same pot you used to cook the popcorn. Pour over the popcorn and sprinkle with desired amount of the seasoning salt. Serve & nbsp;immediately.